Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau was an artistic style that peaked from 1890 to 1905. It is characterised by extensive use of floral motifs and sought to bring art into all areas of life. So Art Nouveau designers were architects, interior decorators, artists, sculptures and furniture designers.[1] A private auction in Melbourne features this beautiful Federation home with superlative Art Nouveau detail:

This magnificent solid brick Federation family residence c.1907 is superbly sited on one of the Gascoigne Estate's grander allotments of some 1310 sqm in a wide tree lined street.

An exuberant Art Nouveau screen frames romantic leadlight decoration

Throughout the residence there is an abundance of wonderful rooms each with distinctive character and proportions . The beautiful entry foyer and the grand reception rooms with ornate period detail lead to the equally appealing light filled family living room with open fire place and conservatory dining area opening from a bright and well appointed Miele fitted central kitchen.

An Art Nouveau arch matches the leadlight glass feature window

The ceiling decoration is Victorian style

The ceiling roses are remarkable

The Art Nouveau designs in the above scroll work are an example of late Victorian floral patterns which swept the world at the turn of the last century, and illustrated here in porch bracketing in Canada: (from: Victoriana magazine)

Victorian fretwork

406 Waverley Road Malvern East

This glamorous home reflects elements of disparate historical styles such as Art Nouveau, art deco, saracenic and earlier styles to create an unusual and unique property. It reflects a lifetime passion for art and design capturing the very essence of luxury living.

Beautiful Art Nouveau patterns in the bathroom leadlight and the tiled bathroom frieze

Arts and Crafts Revival:

William Morris and Walter Crane are two of the undisputed geniuses of 19th century pattern design and co-founders of the English Arts & Crafts movement. Their designs often appeared together, most notably in Queen Victoria's own Kensington Palace.

GLENCAIRN, 11 Coppin Street, Malvern East VIC 3145

Sold 24 May 2014 This Federation-style house feels like a home that has been shown respect and has been well-cared for over the years. The entrance and front four period rooms have all the grace and space of the larger homes of this era.

The wallpaper frieze is magnificent and echoes early Art Nouveau themes

Here is a very similar source pattern to the Art Nouveau frieze pictured above:

Fenway takes its name from the word "fen" or marsh—a favorite source of inspiration for Victorian designers, especially during the Aesthetic Movement of the 1870s and 1880s and in the emerging Art Nouveau Movement in the 1890s. Much of the fascination with aquatic motifs came from the strong influence of traditional Japanese design on European decorative art in the latter half of the 19th century.

The Iris Frieze is adapted from the work of designer/illustrator Walter Crane, and was one of the first patterns of the Victorian era to foreshadow the coming of Art Nouveau, a movement which owed much of its earliest inspiration to the original genius of Crane.

All the elements that contribute to the Gascoigne Estate's desirability as a family address are captured by GLENCAIRN, a stylish, substantial Federation era residence in which abundant natural light and exceptionally generous proportions from an unforgettable combination. A formal dining room that retains rich period character:

A wallpaper frieze below the cornice is William Morris inspired, but he did not design friezes himself.

A digitally printed frieze was commissioned from Bradbury & Bradbury for a Seattle dining room. (Photo: William Wright)

"Did you know that William Morris eschewed friezes? He considered the wall division superfluous and recommended papering right up to the ceiling. Be that as it may, chances are good that you have rooms with friezes if you live in a house built between 1850 and 1940.

In classical architecture, the frieze is defined as the space between the architrave and cornice. (In 1812, the British removed the Elgin Marbles, the Parthenon’s world-famous frieze, to display it in the British Museum.) The decorated interior frieze came into its own during the reign of Queen Victoria.The era’s ceilings were typically high, 9′ or more, and a divided wall balances the room’s proportions, bringing the eye down from the ceiling. The frieze was considered (except, apparently, by Morris) an integral part of the room’s overall finish.

The area below the ceiling and above the picture rail was often treated differently from the lower wall: covered with embossed materials like Lincrusta, Anaglypta, tin, or leather; hand-painted, stenciled, bordered, or striped; embellished with compo ornament or even with finely detailed plasterwork."

Tillbrook, 60 Tooronga Road Malvern

Sold Date: Fri 13-Nov-09

"Tillbrook" family home in the heart of the Gascoigne Estate This 1911 Queen Anne Federation home on an allotment of approx 11,000 sq ft of established grounds is surrounded by a 6 meter high hedging and has been meticulously restored to exacting standards. Located in the Gascoigne Estate and moments to Schools and parklands, this home offers exquisite 4 bedroom accommodation, main complete with box bay window and original fretwork.

The gablet decoration is wonderfully Art Nouveau and whimsical

The ceiling cornice is Victorian, but the furniture and leadlight show Art Nouveau decoration; the two birds above the mantle are emblematic of William Morris.

A wonderful Art Nouveau arch and an elaborate Art Nouveau cornice, very rare. Note also the similarity between the fretwork and the Leadlight pattern in the (back) door set, different from the fromt door set, below

The breezeway arch shown here divides the public front and formally-decorated rooms from the private rooms towards the back of the house. Note the chimes installed in the hallway.Thus the picture below shows the front door, indicated by the formally decorated ceiling, and the picture above must show the back door.

The influence of Chinese-style strapwork on Western design in the late 19th Century, is illustrated here (central item) from 'The Grammar of Ornament' by Owen Jones:

And below some examples of Floral Art design elements widely used in ornamentation: